Backyard recreational and cooking fires are legal in Lorain County if they meet Ohio EPA limits: fueled only with clean seasoned firewood or natural gas, never used to dispose of waste, and kept to a total fuel area no larger than three feet across and two feet high. Local fire
Ohio EPA rule OAC 3745-19-03 exempts small recreational and cooking fires from the open-burning ban, provided they are fueled with clean seasoned firewood, natural gas, or an equivalently clean fuel, are not used for waste disposal, and have a total fuel area of three feet or less in diameter and two feet or less in height. The Ohio Fire Code adds that recreational fires must generally stay 25 feet from structures (15 feet for gas-fired pits) and be constantly attended with a means of extinguishment nearby. The state fire marshal may ban recreational fires countywide during drought. Cities may impose stricter local rules.
Exceeding the size limits or burning waste turns a legal recreational fire into prohibited open burning — a minor misdemeanor under city code plus possible Ohio EPA citation, charged per day of violation.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Lorain County's backyard fires rules stack up against other locations.
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